[acre88]

Interesting trend, based on Flurry analytics :

“…only 10% of the time spent on mobile is spent in the browser, down from 14% a year ago. The rest of the time, 90%, is spent in apps.”

So if you're on your phone, you're probably playing games or using some other native app, but not the web browser.

Does make me wonder whether average folk (especially younger people) have any love for the web, or if it's just this functional, sometimes-adequate thing they use when there's nothing better/easier.

There's a (sorta) counterpoint to this article from Morgan Stanley saying that for the "top 50 mobile properties" their web traffic (measured in visitors, I believe) is increasing faster than their app traffic. Not sure I agree agree with their optimistic conclusion, but, maybe. I feel that there are probably good (obvious) reasons, based on typical usage, for why most people hit Zillow or Yahoo Answers of WebMD in their browser. I dunno if I'd use that stat to conclude that the browser is in a position of strength…

Link (PDF) : http://linkback.morganstanley.com/web/sendlink/webapp/f/e490...

[niftich]

On mobile, these numbers are consistent with the hypothesis that apps provide superior UX to the web in a mobile browser. To quote you, it's this [somewhat-]functional, sometimes-adequate thing they use then there's nothing better.

Their detailed tables which compare mobile-app vs. mobile-browser engagement for each brand are very informative, in my opinion. Nearly every brand where mobile-web traffic outnumbered mobile-app traffic offers a poor or questionable value proposition to sitting as an app on your homescreen and using your battery and permissions.

What value-add does a user gain from a Best Buy app? An Old Navy app? A [insert clothing brand here] app?